The most famous and beloved of Creator/HannaBarbera's cartoons that isn't ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'', this one was set in the Stone Age -- [[TheThemeParkVersion sort of]] -- and based about half its humor on [[FlintstoneTheming prehistoric versions of modern technology and culture]]. Usually an animal was shown rigged to perform some menial task, e.g. a baby mammoth used as a vacuum cleaner, a parrot used as a recording device, etc. Said animal usually makes an AsideComment about their lot in life.

The other half was ordinary sitcom material, springing from the antics of boorish Fred Flintstone -- based on Jackie Gleason in ''Series/TheHoneymooners'' -- who was constantly hatching insane schemes with the help of his neighbor Barney Rubble and subsequently getting them both into trouble with their wives, Wilma and Betty. Later in the series the Flintstones had a daughter, Pebbles; this inspired the Rubbles to adopt a son, the comically super-strong Bamm-Bamm. Dino and Hoppy were the respective family pets.

This show was the most successful prime-time animated series ever until ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' debuted in 1989. The latter broke the former's record with the season eight episode "The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show" -- explaining why, in syndicated reruns, the opening CouchGag has the Simpsons finding the Flintstones already sitting in their living room. '''''The Flintstones''''' was also the first animated sitcom to win a Primetime Emmy, which opened the door for a lot of animated sitcoms (mostly ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''[[note]] coincidentally, ''Simpsons'' became famous for breaking ''Flintstones'''s record for most episodes of an animated primetime show. The season eight episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" was the episode that broke the record, which is why the EditedForSyndication version of that episode repeats the CouchGag from season four's "Kamp Krusty" where The Simpsons run to the couch and find Fred, Wilma, and Pebbles on the couch[[/note]]) to do the same. The show was also the first to have an animated character (Wilma) be ''openly pregnant''. Of course this was probably the result of something else that no other TV show since about 1948 had done: Wilma and Fred were shown ''sleeping in the same bed, together.''

Like many very popular shows from the 1960s and 1970s, ''The Flintstones'' just would not die. It survived cancellation in any number of subsequent forms, from Saturday morning cartoons featuring teenaged versions of Bamm-Bamm and Pebbles (the latter voiced by Sally Struthers) through a pair of live-action motion pictures, all the way to a breakfast cereal which is still marketed in the early 21st century (and which is the occasion for continuous ''new'' Flintstones animation), not to mention the chewable vitamins.

Similar shows to this have been made by Hanna-Barbera, such as ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'' (''The Flintstones'' [[RecycledInSpace in the future]]), ''Where's Huddles'' (''The Flintstones'' with football players), ''WesternAnimation/WaitTillYourFatherGetsHome'' (''The Flintstones'' meets ''Series/AllInTheFamily''), and ''TheRomanHolidays'' (''The Flintstones'' in the era of the Roman empire).----!!''The Flintstones'' provides the [[TropeNamers name for]] the following tropes:* FlintstoneTheming* GreatGazoo* HaveAGayOldTime

----!!"Flintstones, meet the Flintstones, they're a modern Trope Age family":

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Filmography]]* Animated Series** ''The Flintstones'' (1960–1966 ABC)- The original series. Aired in prime time, and the first animated series to do so. Later shown in reruns on [[SaturdayMorningCartoon Satruday mornings]]. 6 seasons, 166 episodes.** ''WesternAnimation/ThePebblesAndBammBammShow'' (1971–1972 CBS)- The franchise's first Saturday morning series. Largely focused on the now-teenaged Pebbles, Bamm Bamm, and their friends. 1 season, 16 episodes.** ''The Flintstone Comedy Hour'' (1972–1973 CBS)- Expanded the previous series into an 60-minute show. Each episode featured a ''Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm'' segment (most of which were reruns from the previous series), as well as new segments featuring Fred and Barney. 1 season, 16 episodes.** ''Fred Flintstone and Friends'' (1977–1978 Syndication)- A weekly animated package series featuring segments from the previous two series, as well as other Hanna-Barbera series. 1 season.** ''The New Fred and Barney Show'' (1979 NBC)- Another Saturday morning series, this time returning to the franchise's more familiar format. 1 season, 17 episodes.** ''WesternAnimation/FredAndBarneyMeetTheThing'' (1979 NBC)- Consisted of both old and new ''Fred and Barney'' segments, as well as cartoons featuring [[ComicBook/FantasticFour the Thing]]. 1 season, 13 episodes.** ''Fred and Barney Meet [[LilAbner the Shmoo]]'' (1979–1980 NBC)- An expansion of the previous series with a new segment involving the LilAbner character the Schmoo. 1 season, 13 episodes. ** ''The Flintstone Comedy Show'' (1980–1981 NBC)- A 90-minute series featuring six segments, including [[SelfPlagiarism ripoff]] of TomAndJerry and Franchise/ScoobyDoo, and a [=Superman=] parody with CaptainCaveman. 2 seasons, 18 episodes.** ''The Flintstone Funnies'' (1982–1984 NBC)- Re-editing episodes from previous series to 30-minutes.** ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstoneKids'' (1986–1988 ABC)- One of many 80's SpinOffBabies series. 2 seasons, 24 episodes.** ''Dino: World Premiere Toons'' (1995–1997)- Only broadcasted 7-minute shorts.** ''WesternAnimation/CaveKids'' (1996 Cartoon Network)- An [[TastesLikeDiabetes overly-cute]] series focusing on young Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm. Lasted 1 season, 8 episodes.* Animated films** ''Film/TheManCalledFlintstone'' (1966)- the only one theatrically released. Finds Fred in a ''Film/JamesBond'' parody.** ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsonsMeetTheFlintstones'' (1987, Syndication)- As the title implies, TheJetsons meet the Flintstones (and the Rubbles).** ''I Yabba-Dabba Do!'' (1993, ABC)- Pebbles and Bamm Bamm get married.** ''Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby'' (1993, ABC)- Pebbles becomes a mother.** ''A Flintstones Christmas Carol'' (1994, Syndication). As the title implies, the cast stars in a [[AChrimstmasCarol Christmas Carol]] parody, with Fred in the Ebenezer Scrooge role. This special marked the final time Jean Vander Pyl voiced Wilma.** ''The Flintstones: On the Rocks'' (2001, Cartoon Network)- A prime time feature [[SelfDeprecation poking fun at]] the first season of the original series. In it, Fred and Wilma face marital problems.** ''The Flintstones: Stone Age SmackDown!'' (Scheduled for 2015). A Wrestling/{{WWE}} Studios collaboration guest-starring Wrestling/JohnCena and Wrestling/VinceMcMahon.* Television specials** ''A Flintstone Christmas'' (1977, NBC)- A 60-minute special in which Fred and Barney fill in for a sick SantaClaus.** ''Hanna-Barbera's All-Star Comedy Ice Revue'' (1978, CBS). Live-action [=Crossover=] of various Hanna-Barbera characters, with Fred as the host.** ''The Flintstones: Little Big League'' (1978, NBC)- A 60-minute special in which Fred and Barney coach rival Little League baseball teams. Features pre-teen versions of Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm.** ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstonesMeetRockulaAndFrankenstone'' (1980, NBC)- As the title implies, the gang meets parodies of [=Dracula=] and [=Frankenstein=]'s monster.** ''The Flintstones' New Neighbors'' (1980, NBC)- A half-hour special in which the Flintstones put up with their strange new neighbors, the Frankenstones.** ''The Flintstones: Fred's Final Fling'' (1980, NBC)- A half-hour special in which Fred mistakenly thinks he only has 24 hours to live and tries to enjoy life as much as possible.** ''The Flintstones: Wind-Up Wilma'' (1981, NBC)- A half-hour special in which Wilma becomes a pitcher for the Bedrock Dodgers.** ''The Flintstones: Jogging Fever'' (1981, NBC)- A half-hour special in which Fred takes up jogging.** ''Yogi Bear's All Star Comedy Christmas Caper'' (1982, CBS)- 30-minute [=Crossover=] with other characters. Fred and Barney briefly appear, interacting with Snagglepuss. [[LampshadeHanging At one point, the duo are asked how they managed to travel to a different century]].** ''The Flintstones' 25th Anniversary Celebration'' (1986, CBS)- A live-action 60-minute special commemorating the franchise's 25th birthday. Hosted by Tim Conway and Harvey Korman.** ''The Flintstone Kids' "Just Say No" Special'' (1988, ABC)- Half-hour [[DrugsAreBad Anti-Drug Special]] featuring the Flintstone Kids and a Stone Age version of Music/MichaelJackson.** ''Hanna-Barbera's 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration'' (1989, TNT)- A documentary/television special honoring Creator/HannaBarbera's 50th anniversary. Hosted by Tony Danza and Annie Potts and [[RogerRabbitEffect featuring multiple animated HB characters]]. This special marked the last time MelBlanc voiced Barney.** ''A Flintstone Family Christmas'' (1993, ABC)- A half-hour special in which the Flintstones adopt an abandoned child. * Live-Action Films** ''Film/TheFlintstones'' (1994)- A theatrical LiveActionAdaptation** ''Film/TheFlintstonesInVivaRockVegas'' (2000)- A theatrical live-action prequel to the previous film.* Pinballs** ''The Flintstones'' (1994). Based on the first live-action film.* Video Games** ''The Flintstones'' - {{MSX}}** ''The Flintstones'' - SegaMasterSystem** ''The Flintstones: The Rescue of Dino & Hoppy'' - [[NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]]** ''The Flintstones'' - SegaGenesis** ''The Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Peak!'' - NES** ''The Flintstones: The Treasure of Sierra Madrock'' - [[SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]][[/folder]]

[[folder:A to I]]* AbsurdlyLongLimousine: Done once or twice. Often the gag would be further reinforced with a secretary or switchboard operator at the halfway point of the limousine.* AccidentalDanceCraze: Twice...** In one episode Fred stubs his toe and starts hopping up and down. Bystanders join in, and soon everyone is doing the 'Flintstone Frantic'. "Yabba-dabba-doo...woo-woo-woo! Yabba-dabba-die...yie-yie-yie!"** "The Twitch" is created when singer Rock Roll has convulsions as a reaction to his pickled dodo eggs allergy.* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Very, '''very''' much inverted in the first live action movie with regards to Betty.** Played straight with Barney and Wilma's mother.* AdjectiveNounFred: In Japan the series was called ''Primitive Family Flintstone''.* AgelessBirthdayEpisode: Had several such episodes for Fred (such as "The Swimming Pool"), but averted in the episode where Pebbles has her first birthday.* AllAnimalsAreDogs: Dino is a dinosaur that acts just like a big dog.* AnachronismStew: We have dinosaurs and large mammals living at the same time, along with modern-esque technology and culture. And they celebrate Christmas thousands of years ''before Christ''.** Apparently, Fred knows the words to "When the Saints Go Marching In". And can sing it in someone else's voice.* TheArtifact: Ads for the aforementioned vitamins, being marketed to parents, haven't featured the characters in any form other than what appears on the packaging or the product itself in years (preferring to feature footage of active, healthy-looking kids).* AsideComment: The animals used as part of the BambooTechnology are likely to do this.* BabysittingEpisode: In the Gruesomes' debut episode, Fred and Barney agree to babysit Goblin, whose antics and pets make it near life-threatening. * BackToSchool: When a law has been passed stating Fred's job could not be held by people who didn't finish High School, Fred had to finish it because he owed two weeks of class. Then, in another episode, it's revealed Fred [[{{Retcon}} went to college]] but didn't graduate because he spent most (if not all) of the time playing football. He returned to college [[spoiler:but ended up playing football again]].* BadassAdorable: Bamm-Bamm Rubble could shake an entire house with his club even as a toddler. At times he even got Barney and Uncle Fred out of a pinch with his super strength.* BambooTechnology: Pretty much the main thing that makes ''The Flintstones'' any different from just setting it in 1960s America, this trope provides much of the humor after the standard sitcom plots and all the silly names. Cars? Telephones? Airplanes? They had 'em. Radio? Television? The only reason they didn't have any electronics more advanced than that was because of when the show was made. If one takes the Fruity Pebbles commercials as {{canon}}, then they actually have not only computers and robots, but HumongousMecha.** Later spinoffs and TV movies usually update the technology equivalents to match when the spinoff/movie was made. Thus the late 1970s ''The New Fred and Barney Show'' featured CB radios, 80s spinoff ''The Flintstone Kids'' featured video games, while the 90s TV movies ''I Yabba Dabba Do'' and ''Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby'' feature desktop computers, [=VCRs=], [=CDs=] and car alarms.* BedtimeBrainwashing: Wilma and Betty tried this on Fred and Barney.* BetaCouple: The Rubbles.* BigDamnMovie: The first live-action film has ambition, loyalty, betrayal, corporate intrigue, and a climactic battle upon an elaborate makeshift DeathTrap. An average episode of the TV series is basically just [[HilarityEnsues Wacky Hijinks]].* [[BigDamnMovie Big Darn Movie]]: ''The Man Called Flintstone'' made at the same time as the Original Series. Originally intended as a multipart season premire, it was adapted instead into a movie parodying the hot Secret Agent genre.* BigFriendlyDog: Dino, even though he's not technically a dog.* BlackBeadEyes: Some characters, especially Barney and Wilma.* BowlingForRatings: Fred and Barney are frequently shown bowling, either by themselves or as part of an organized group.* BrokenAesop: In [[{{Crossover}} "Samantha"]], after some ridicule, the wives are determined to prove they can handle a camping trip with Fred and Barney. They are joined by [[Series/{{Bewitched}} the secretly magical Samantha]]. The episode ends with everyone thinking Wilma and Betty outdid Fred and Barney, but as the viewers saw, Samantha cheated - using her magic to make things vastly easier for the wives than it would've been otherwise.* BrokenStreak* BrotherhoodOfFunnyHats: Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes.* BumblingDad: Fred, when Pebbles was born.* ByTheEyesOfTheBlind: Gazoo.* CanonDiscontinuity: Dino is a pretty startling example. In his debut episode, he has a different colour (blue instead of magenta), usually walks on his hind legs, and can not only talk but can act and fast-talk people with a vocabulary to match. At the end of the episode, he goes home with the Flintstones... and then turns into a [[AllAnimalsAreDogs dog]] with only the usual level of cartoon animal intelligence (in that he can understand the exact sentences people say and act upon them, but is never seen to be able to talk).** How about Barney being Mister Slate's long-lost nephew? Didn't last past the end of the episode that used it.* CatchPhrase: "Yabba-dabba-doo!"** In the teenage years spinoffs, Pebbles uses "Yabba-dabba-doozy!" Befitting, as her schemes usually were.** "Wiiiiiiiilllmaaaaaaa!!!"** (In the cereal commercials) "Barney!!!!! My Pebbles!!!!" (Followed by Barney making a lame pun based on his latest scheme)* CelebrityIsOverrated* TheCelebrityLie* ChristmasEpisode: "Christmas Flintstone". Fred gets a second job at the mall and eventually becomes a MallSanta. He loves it, but then he gets approached to stand in for a very real, very sick SantaClaus.* ChildhoodFriendRomance: If you go by historic timelines, it could be said that Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm were the very first pair for this trope. Upon first meeting as babies, they were the best of friends and had many adventures as they grew up together, eventually falling in love, getting married, and having children of their own. It was even [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by [[Creator/HannaBarbera Bill and Joe]] themselves during a [[CreatorCameo cameo appearance]] at their wedding.* CloserToEarth: Wilma is much more mature and level-headed than Fred, who borders on ManChild.* ConspicuouslyLightPatch* CosmeticallyAdvancedPrequel: ''The Flintstone Kids'' compared to the original series.* CousinOliver: The Gruesomes. They appeared in only two episodes of the original series before disappearing and didn't come back until an episode of ''WesternAnimation/ThePebblesAndBammBammShow''.* {{Crossover}}: with ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'', ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'' and others.* {{Crunchtastic}}: Their aforementioned cereal. The short-lived Dino Pebbles Cereal, for instance, used "Marshmellow Dinolicious" in their ads, prompting Dino to {{glomp}} whoever said it.* DarkerAndEdgier: The animated movie ''Flintstones on the Rocks''. Fred and Wilma's silly cartoon fighting turned into them being a genuinely unhappy married couple, and the opening scene is them fighting in a marriage counseling session.** At least one episode of the original series - a parody of ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'' - goes this direction unexpectedly when a mook is actually ''killed'' by the villain. OK, he's dropped down a bottomless pit so technically he isn't dead-dead, but still, this is ''The Flintstones''.** ''The Man Called Flintstone'' film – another spy spoof – also has a darker feel to it, such as one sequence where Fred contemplates the end of the world while watching kids play, and [[spoiler:the villain is killed off, in part due to Fred and Barney]].* DeadpanSnarker: Fred and Wilma, more so on the latter.* DeusExMachina: There is a {{Western}] themed show that is resolved when a stone-age version of the [[{{Series/Bonanza}} Cartwright family]], with no warning whatsoever, charge in out of nowhere to rescue the main characters.* DietEpisode: At least one episode has Fred getting shamed into dieting.* DinnerWithTheBoss: Mr. Slate does this a few times.* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: Often played straight throughout the series.** Especially in first episode "The Flintstone Flyer" when Wilma and Betty find out about their husbands feigning illness to avoid going to the opera, in order so they can sneak off and go bowling. What's worse is that Fred and Barney's scheme got surely blown at home in the Flintstone's house, where the two wives became domestically abusive. Wife beater may be considered a serious term, but not sure to say the same for husband beater.*** Thanks to CharacterDevelopment, they both became more sweet-natured, although Wilma isn't above hitting Fred whenever he behaves in an exceptionally bad way.* DoesNotWearShoes: Due to the prehistoric setting, the entire cast is constantly barefoot (an exception is footwear worn with tuxedoes, but even then it just covers the top of the foot). [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in a ComicBookAdaptation story in which shoes are invented, but fail to catch on.* DoorstopBaby: Bamm-Bamm* DreamSequence* {{Drive-In Theater}}: Featured in the (second) opening and (second) closing credits.* DrivenToSuicide: A heartbroken Barney attempted this when thinking that the Stonyfellers won their court case and were free to adopt Bamm-Bamm, by roping a boulder to his torso from a bridge. Fred saved his life, but caught the boulder by accident and wound up (alive, but grumbling) in the river.* DrunkWithPower: Fred, in the first live action movie.* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The show in its original run did not feature its famous "Meet the Flintstones" theme song until the third season. Instead, it used an instrumental piece of music that sounded very much like the theme from the concurrent ''WesternAnimation/TheBugsBunnyRoadRunnerShow''. Which may explain why for decades the syndicated version of the series transplanted the later theme song.** Dino, as mentioned above.** Betty had a different hairstyle in the original pilot ("The Flagstones"; itself an example), and in the first episode.** In the first season, Creator/MelBlanc played Barney with a nasal, high-pitched lilt that was sort of a cross between Bugs Bunny and his normal speaking voice. When he returned to playing the role after being incapacitated in a car accident (Creator/DawsButler filled in during his recovery), Mel began playing Barney with a deeper, dopier voice, similar to how Art Carney played Ed Norton on ''Series/TheHoneymooners''.** Fred was more of a {{Jerkass}} in the first few episodes (especially "The Flintstone Flyer"). Fortunately, he mellowed out pretty quickly.* EveryProperLadyShouldCurtsy: Betty in the Stony Curtis episode. She's playing maid for Wilma who is putting on airs for Stony's arrival.* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: Because a ''Flintstones'' which only used creatures that ''lived'' during the Paleolithic wouldn't be nearly as interesting, although those kinds of animals are around as well.* ExpositoryThemeTune: "Meet the Flintstones", beginning in the third season.** ''"They're the modern Stone Age family..."''* FanDisservice: Fred and Barney in speedos in the ''Flintstones: On The Rocks'' special.* FeudingFamilies: "Bedrock Hillbillies."* TheFilmOfTheSeries: The two {{Live Action Adaptation}}s.* FirstNameUltimatum: See this page's quote.* [[FourTemperamentEnsemble Five-Temperament Ensemble]]: Wilma Flintstone (melancholic), Betty (phlegmatic), Fred Flintstone (sanguine), and Barney Rubble (leukine).* ForgottenPhlebotinum: As a baby Bamm-Bamm had super strength, but later in ''The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show'' he never used it. It could be explained that he lost it as he grew up, except it later came back in the 1993 TV movies.* FourFingeredHands: As if you'd expect any different from a Hanna-Barbera cartoon?* FreakyFridayFlip: A number of times, including once where Fred and Dino swap bodies.* TheGamblingAddict: Fred is a compulsive gambler. Simply mentioning the word "bet" around him will cause him to get a crazy look in his eyes and start repeating the word over and over in a loud voice:-->'''Fred''': Bet...bet...bet! BEEETTTTT! BET-BET-BET-BET-BET-BET-BET!!!!!* GentleGiant: Fred, at his best.* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:** Betty apparently kept her pledge paddle, when asked what it was used for she simply took a big swing and said "Whacko"... Make of that what you will.** Wilma is pregnant, so Fred takes her to the hospital, with Barney helping. The two of them semi-carry her to the hospital entrance, which is a revolving door. Barney is even more nervous than Fred, and takes Wilma through the revolving door so fast that Fred is spun out, and across the street through the revolving door of a hotel. Slamming into the counter, Fred thinks he's in the hospital, so he innocently says to the desk clerk, "I'm looking for my wife, she just came in here with my best friend." HilarityEnsues.** Speaking of Wilma's pregnancy, the very fact the Flintstones procreated was a case of this trope, given that this was the early 1960s. The fact they even slept together in the same bedroom was groundbreaking enough; the fact it is implied they had a sex life was unheard of. (Remember, when ''Series/ILoveLucy'' had Lucy Ricardo become pregnant, this was only due to the fact that Lucy herself was pregnant and they couldn't stop the show for several months. With an animated series, there was no need other than for story reasons to have Wilma become pregnant).** The episode in which Bamm-Bamm is adopted by the Rubbles all but explicitly indicates that either Barney is impotent/sterile, or Betty is unable to conceive children. Try to name one other animated TV series ever that addressed this issue, and this was at a time when discussing such topics in live-action programs was simply not allowed.** Meanwhile, there was also the episode in which Dino fell in love with a neighbour's pet dinosaur and by the end of the episode she's pregnant with his puppies...** A scene in 70s primetime special "Fred's Final Fling" has Fred at the doctor's office. When the doctor examines his x-ray, Fred jokes "How 'bout that, Doc? Flintstone in an [[UsefulNotes/MediaClassifications x-ray-ted picture]]!"** And probably the most baffling, blatant and awesome moment ever: Fred and Barney enter a costume store to look for costumes. Fred asks Barney what costume he's gonna get, in which he replies he wants something to make him look tall. Fred suggests another head, cue audience laughing. Barney answers: [[DoubleTake "A head? What do I need THREE of them for?"]] Cue audience laughing louder.** When Fred and Barney accidentally enlist in the army, Wilma asks "How do they always manage to bollocks things up?"* GilliganCut: Happened quite a lot, and like ''Series/FTroop'' before it, uses here also predate the Trope Namer.* GodForADay: Well, more like "Boss For A Day" when Fred is envious of his boss and the Great Gazoo turns him into a boss. He finds that it's actually a burden, since he has to deal with higher-ups, stay late in meetings, etc.* GravityIsAHarshMistress: So many of Fred's schemes end in him falling or having things fall on him.* HairReboot: In the episode featuring [[FlintstoneTheming Stony Curtis]], when Wilma quickly gets herself cleaned up to meet the celebrity, four quick strokes of her brush are all that is needed to bring her hair to its usual style.* HappilyAdopted: Bamm-Bamm is notable for being one of the first examples on a cartoon.* HappilyMarried: Both couples, but Barney and Betty are portrayed more often in this way than Fred and Wilma, especially when the latter have marital issues.* HelpingGrannyCrossTheStreet: There's an episode where they and the Rubbles end up camping with a group of Boy Scouts. In one scene, a pair of boys "help" (she didn't need it) walk Betty across the camp. When Betty tells the second boy he already walked her, he tells her she only counts half as much as an old lady.* HenpeckedHusband: Put it this way: ''don't'' make Wilma and Betty (or pretty much every other wife on the show) angry!* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: The alien who created 10 clones of Fred.* HoldYourHippogriffs: The premise of the whole show is to displace modern stories into a prehistoric setting, so language was obvious to follow.* HorseOfADifferentColor: Dino is just like a dog, except he's a sauropod dinosaur; Hoppy is a kangaroo-like "hopparoo".** Dino's official species is "snorkasaurus".* {{Housewife}}: Both Wilma and Betty, though Betty occasionally took up part-time jobs.* HypocriticalHumor: "Wilma, I've told you a million times, don't exaggerate!"** In the episode ''The Sweepstakes ticket'' Wilma and Betty don't tell the boys about it, for fear that they will go and charge everything in town...when they had done the exact same thing when Fred bought a sweepstakes ticket the previous year.* IdenticalStranger: Fred's lookalikes J.L. Gotrocks (in "The Tycoon") and Rock Slag (in ''The Man Called Flintstone'' movie). Not to mention his robot doppelgangers in "Ten Little Flintstones".* IncessantChorus: The end of "The Hot Piano" involves Barney and a troupe of policemen who keep singing "Happy Anniversary" to Fred and Wilma, much to Fred's annoyance.* IncessantMusicMadness: Fred and Wilma find the perfect maid/cook, and everybody's happy--except that Fred keeps singing (badly) an inane song he made up. The hired help finally quits.-->'''Fred:''' Oh, Lola Brigada/Your food I dig-ada!* InexplicablyAwesome: It's never explained why Bamm-Bamm has super strength.** Possibly a sendup of the sort of people who coo over babies and find their every smelly fart to be evidence of what an exceptional child they have on their hands. "Oooh, look at him grip my finger! Feel how strong he is!" Well, this kid really is.** TheMovie with John Goodman explained it as a [[RaisedByWolves Raised By Mastadons]] situation.* InjuryBookend: In an early episode, Fred gets hit in the head with a bottle. When he comes to, he becomes a "formal" personality who insists on being called "Frederick", but who ends up of being a bit too sickeningly sweet. Eventually, Wilma and the others decide WeWantOurJerkBack, so he is hit in the head again.* InkSuitActor: James Darren, Tony Curtis, Ann-Margret, Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York gave voice to their cartoon likenesses on the show.* InstrumentalThemeTune: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zbrO3LKxgk "Rise and Shine"]], used in the first two seasons.* InvisibleToNormals: Gazoo is invisible to everyone but Fred and Barney, and later, Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm.* IntellectualAnimal: Dino, in his debut episode. He reverts to a standardly intelligent non-talking cartoon animal in the next episode he features in and stays that way.[[/folder]]

[[folder:J to P]]* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: No matter the series, movie or special, Fred always falls into this trope.* JumpingOutOfACake: In "Frantic City", the cake at the Water Buffalos' convention was supposed to have showgirls inside. It had their angry wives instead, rolling pins in hand.** The "I Yabba Dabba Do" special [[PlayingWithATrope played with this]] when the woman supposed to jump out of the cake at Bamm-Bamm's bachelor party walked out because she wanted more money. This leads to Barney being forced to substitute.* KangarooPouchRide* KangaroosRepresentAustralia: Hoppy, the "hopparoo".* KnifeThrowingAct: "Dial S for Suspicion."* LastDayToLive: This was the plot of the prime-time special "Fred's Final Fling".* LastMinuteBabyNaming: Pebbles doesn't get named until she's born. Ditto for her own children Chip and Roxy.* LaughTrack: As was typical of 60's-era Hanna-Barbera. Notably edited out in the syndicated airings on Creator/{{Boomerang}}.** Notably absent from ''The Man Called Flintstone'', which made it a surreal viewing experience for those used to watching the show with canned laughter.* LimitedWardrobe: It was ''extraordinarily'' rare to see any of the characters wearing any outfit other than what you see in the picture at the top of this page.* ManInAKilt: Pretty much every male character wears a prehistoric man-kilt.* MeanBoss: While Mr. Slate is quite amiable at times, he has his mean moments, usually whenever Fred does something stupid.* MeaningfulName: In TheMovie, the character of Rosetta Stone was so named because the Producers had hoped to get the actress Sharon Stone to play her (they ended up with Creator/HalleBerry instead). Which becomes HilariousInHindsight when you consider that in the 2004 Catwoman movie, Halle Berry's Catwoman fights a villain played by Sharon Stone.* MetronomicManMashing: Bamm! Bamm! BAMM-BAMM-BAMM!* MistakenForDying* MistakenForQuake: Fred thinks there's an earthquake. Turns out it was Bamm-Bamm inexplicably destroying an addition to Fred's house.---> '''Fred:''' Barney! We're having an Earthquake!\\---> '''Barney:''' No, Fred, It's just a truckload of ice from the Glacier Ice Company.* MotionlessChin: As was typical of Hanna-Barbera's LimitedAnimation of the era* TheMovie: ''The Man Called Flintstone''.* MrFanservice: Notably, Bamm-Bamm is drawn to be far more attractive than every other male character in the series as he grows older, having much more realistic and less cartoony proportions. Naturally, he goes shirtless frequently.* MythologyGag: In the live-action movie, Fred is mistakenly named as "Flagstone" a couple times. ''The Flagstones'' was the original planned name for the series.** It was changed to "Flintstones" because there was – [[PrintLongRunners and still is]] – a comic strip called ''Hi And Lois'' (co-drawn by Mort Walker) whose family was named the Flagstons.** It has been said that Bamm-Bamm was inspired from Ubble-Ubble, the cave boy in the [[TheRuffAndReddyShow Ruff & Reddy]] story arc "The Chickosaurus Caper."* NeverMyFault: In "The Astra' Nuts" Fred and Barney go to get their physical, but Betty gives the wrong address and they end up accidentally enlisting in the army. Of course Wilma and Betty blame them for "bollixing" it up.* NeverSleepAgain: In one episode, Wilma, Betty and Barney are led to [[spoiler:(falsely)]] believe Fred has an ailment that will kill him if he falls asleep. Also, he must not be informed of this or he'll die too. The gang uses increasingly creative methods to keep Fred awake.* NiceKitty: Subverted: Barney sees a Bantydactyl and cheerfully says "Here, pussy pussy" to it until it cheerfully opens its mouth and grabs him leaving only his feet exposed.* NoAccountingForTaste: Fred isn't [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold a bad person]], [[GentleGiant per se]], but he's not putting as much effort into the marriage as Wilma, who is often forced to suffer his tantrums and schemes. Subverted in one of the movies, though, where Fred had to struggle to get Wilma's favor back after a fight during a holiday trip.* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: With all the rock-based playing on celebrity names, ''The Flintstones'' almost deserves to be the [[TropeNamers Trope Namer]]. Subverted with Ann Margrock, who was voiced by the real Ann-Margret.* NoIndoorVoice: Fred is frequently guilty of this.* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: [[spoiler:The Green Goose and his henchmen, as Fred and Barney trapped them inside the doomsday missile/rocket, which is launched into space, that Fred set it to. The screen fades to black just as the rocket is about to ascend into space.]]* NotSoAboveItAll: On occasion Wilma would pull a ZanyScheme of her own, usually to try to improve Fred. They would end about [[CantGetAwayWithNuthin about as well as Fred's]].* NotSoImaginaryFriend: The Great Gazoo is only visible to Fred and usually Barney.* ObnoxiousInLaws: Wilma's Mother.* OneMillionBC: Subverted, kinda; although Fred and Barney are still the lunk-headed image of the standard cavemen, they and their wives still act like sophisticated modern suburbanites. At least their wives do. * OnOneCondition* [[TheOnlyOne The Only Ones]]: Fred and Barney in ''The Man Called Flintstone'', when Rock Slag and the Chief were incapacitated, and their double agent XXX is really [[spoiler:The Green Goose]].* OpenMouthInsertFoot: Fred. Literally and frequently.* OutOfFocus: Betty has the less amount of screentime of the four main characters and possibly has the weakest characterization of all them.* OverprotectiveDad: Fred, in regard to Pebbles.* PantyShot: Pebbles in a couple of viewer participation segments of the NBC ''Flintstone Comedy Hour'' (it is important to note this refers to the ''teenage'' version of Pebbles!).** Wilma had a panty shot in a one-page comic in an issue of ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo'' (Archie series). She's wearing a fancy new dress that subsequently gets eaten by moths.* ParanormalEpisode: The series had a handful of such episodes, such as the time they traveled to the present day on the world's first TimeMachine, or when aliens cloned Fred as part of an invasion plot. Then in the sixth season they introduced the GreatGazoo, and every episode became this.* PinkGirlBlueBoy: Roxy and Chip from ''Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby''.* PlotAllergy: In "The Twitch", Rock Roll loses his voice after accidentally eating pickled dodo eggs, which he's allergic to, leaving Fred having to fill in for him.* PoorlyDisguisedPilot: A few episodes appear to qualify, most notably the "Rip Van Flintstone" episode in which Fred dreams that he's slept for years and he finds a teenaged Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm getting ready to be married. Aside from foreshadowing one of the reunion TV movies of decades later, the episode also appears to set the groundwork for the later ''Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm'' spin-off series by introducing audiences to the concept of older versions of the characters.* PrettyInMink: Fred is having some sort of problem, making him almost completely lethargic. Wilma buys an expensive fur coat of "genuine Siberian mammoth", knowing the cost will make Fred freak out.* PunnyName: Pretty much every character or locale on the show has one, based on some variant of "rock" or "stone." Also, "Barney Rubble" (nearly always shortened to "barney") was Cockney rhyming-slang for "trouble" long before movies were invented.** The Latin-American Spanish dub version changed everyone's names for no apparent reason, but still followed this trope. The Flintstones (who should have been called Los Pedernal) were instead called Los Picapiedra (the Stonecutters). Made even stranger because occasional characters with the last name Pedernal DID appear in this version!** TheFilmOfTheSeries would have lampshaded this - the producers wanted actress Sharon Stone [[TheDanza to play character Rosetta Stone]] (the role ultimately went to Creator/HalleBerry, and the character was immediately renamed... Sharon Stone).** The original Hungarian dubs also renamed almost all of the characters (most famously Fred Flintstone & Barney Rubble to Kovakövi Frédi & Kavicsi Béni, and Wilma & Betty to Vilma & Irma, in keeping with the rhyming-theme the dub had going on), but the dubs of later spin-offs and movies restored the original English Flintstone surname. Could get confusing, since there were at least three dubs, with wholly different voice-casts.** A ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' sketch parodied this when a deliveryman rattles off a long, awkward URL mishmashing Amazon.com and at least three shoehorned rock puns. Fred looks at him for a minute and he says, "Look, not all of these rock puns are easy."*** Later in that sketch, Barney finally gets fed up with the puns, and in his rage redoubles his efforts to brutally murder every single appliance in Fred's house.* PurelyAestheticEra** The show is a {{Retool}} of a concept for an animated version of ''Series/TheHoneymooners''. Not ''The Honeymooners'' with any sort of gimmick, just vanilla ''The Honeymooners''.* PygmalionSnapBack: When Wilma and Betty changed Fred and Barney.[[/folder]]

[[folder:R to Z]]* RecycledInSpace: ''The Honeymooners'' in the stone age. The short-lived spinoff ''Cave Kids'' is ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' in the stone age.* ReplacedTheThemeTune: They used [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zbrO3LKxgk an orchestral theme (and completely different opening sequence)]] early on before switching to the iconic "Flintstones, meet the Flintstones..." This first opening directly influenced that of ''The Simpsons'' (Fred drives home from work through town and ends up in front of the TV).** That first theme sounded eerily like "This Is It", the theme to ''[[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes The Bugs Bunny Show]]'', which premiered the same season on ABC.*** Possibly due to this - or in order to simply standardize the opening credits - the syndicated version of the series used only the second opening for decades until the original opening was restored in the 2000s for cable TV broadcast and later DVD release.* ResetButton* RhymesOnADime: The entire original Hungarian dub is in rhyming prose. Often considered one of the greatest non-English examples of {{Woolseyism}}.* RightHandAttackDog: The Green Goose and his pet sabre-tooth tiger Ferocious in ''The Man Called Flintstone''.* RunningGag: A number of them, such as Fred going "Bet-bet-bet-bet-bet!" whenever gambling is mentioned, or the image of a shoe heel being superimposed over various characters' heads if they feel guilty or remorseful about something they've said or done.** Also a recurring gag/theme involving Fred's often fruitless attempts at inventing things.* SatelliteCharacter: Betty doesn't have so much characterization beyond being Wilma's best friend and Barney's wife.* {{Schemer}}: Both Fred and teenage Pebbles.* SchizoTech: Hoo-boy. This show is probably the codifier. What do you expect when the opening theme uses the phrase "Modern Stone-Age Family"?* ScoutOut: one episode features the Cave Scouts who all decided to go camping in the same valley that Fred and Barney decided to go camping in.* SeriesFauxnale: ''A Man Called Flintstone'' was originally planned to be the series' swan song. It was then renewed for two more seasons.* ShamefulShrinking: Happened quite often: ** In one episode, Fred goes to Mr. Slate's office after attending a masquerade party where he thinks he was schmoozing up to Slate, expecting a pay raise. Instead, Fred discovers that Slate was the guy at the party to whom he was bad-mouthing the boss, and as Slate hurls back the insults he gave him, Fred gets smaller and smaller. This after he had told Barney to "Think big and be big." ** In another episode (titled "My Fair Freddy"), Fred, under the tutelage of the {{Great Gazoo}} (who for once isn't using magic to help him), does ballet in a tutu. He unknowingly attracts attention from various people throughout Bedrock, even those from the [[BrotherhoodOfFunnyHats Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes]]. Fred finishes and discovers he had been watched the whole time, and promptly shrinks.** Another example: after Fred and Barney go behind Wilma and Betty's backs, quitting their jobs, opening their own drive-in restaurant, and hiring cute waitresses, neither Wilma nor Betty let them live it down, and embarrass them by re-enacting the waitress' song-and-dance routine at dinner, causing Fred and Barney to shrink in humiliation.-->'''Fred:''' Well, Barney, it's like you said, some wives will find a way to make a guy feel ''small''.-->'''Barney:''' Yeah, ain't it the truth.* ShoutOut: [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/05/Man_called_flintstone.jpg/220px-Man_called_flintstone.jpg The poster]] for ''The Man Called Flintstone'' is a parody of the ''Film/OurManFlint'' [[http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTQ5NTAxNDc4Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDY3OTEyMQ@@._V1._SY317_CR5,0,214,317_.jpg poster]]. The movie in general is a shout out to various spy movies and tropes.* ShowWithinAShow: Several; none particularly important or prominent -- just parodies of then-current shows. ''[[WesternAnimation/CaptainCavemanAndTheTeenAngels Captain Caveman]]'' comes to mind , in ''Flintstone Kids''.* SincerestFormOfFlattery: Creator/HannaBarbera openly admitted that the show was inspired by ''Series/TheHoneymooners''.** Jackie Gleason, who starred in ''The Honeymooners,'' thought the resemblance was too close for comfort so he [[YouWannaGetSued almost filed a plagiarism suit]] against Hanna-Barbera. His lawyers actually talked him out of it, knowing that he'd win and fearing Gleason would thereafter be known only as "the guy who killed ''The Flintstones''".* SleepingSingle: The early seasons; although the show was the first ''animated'' show to portray a married couple sharing a bed later on.* SmokingIsCool: During the first couple of seasons, Winston Cigarettes sponsored ''The Flintstones'' (the show itself, although always family friendly, was originally meant to appeal to adult audiences), and the commercials had the four lead characters extolling the virtues of said cigarettes. In the actual show, there was rarely any smoking (usually cigars, which are easier to animate), and never by any of the main characters. The only time this occurred was in a few rare animated commercials for Winston which could easily be snipped out from reruns.* SoundEffectBleep* SpecialGuest: Several.* {{Spinoff}}: Several.** SpinoffBabies: ''The Flintstones Kids'', the largely forgotten ''Cave Kids''** SpinOffspring: ''The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show''.* TheSponsor: Fred Flintstone once joined Eaters Anonymous, and his sponsor would grab whatever food Fred got a hold on while giving the group's secret call, "Gobble, gobble, gobble!"* SpringtimeForHitler* SpySpeak* [[{{Steampunk}} Stonepunk]]: You can't miss this, it's all over the place.* TheThemeParkVersion: It's [[TheSixties early-1960s suburban America]] transposed into the Stone Age, with [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs dinosaurs]].** Later, in a more literal sense, a number of actual Flintstones-based theme parks opened around North America.* ThickLineAnimation: The early episodes when the animation drawings were hand-inked on cels. Later on they switched to xerox and the line art got thinner.* TimeMachine: Besides ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsonsMeetTheFlintstones'', a season 5 episode of the original series has the Flintstones and Rubbles stepping into one of these at the Bedrock World's Fair and traveling to the future to encounter several {{Historical Domain Character}}s (including [[TheRomanEmpire Emperor Nero]], KingArthur, ChristopherColumbus, and Creator/BenjaminFranklin) before ending up at the ''New York'' World's Fair of 1964!* TitleSequenceReplacement: The famous "Meet the Flintstones" theme song and title sequence was not introduced until the third season. Early seasons featured an instrumental theme called "Rise and Shine". In syndication, the opening and closing credits were standardized to "Meet the Flintstones" -- even if the actual credits themselves were erroneous. The original TitleSequence was not widely circulated again until it appeared on the Creator/CartoonNetwork reruns and the series was subsequently released on DVD.** Syndicated versions of some later episodes substitute a closing credits sequence featuring Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm singing "Let the Sunshine In" in lieu of the regular closing.* TitleThemeTune: One of the most iconic examples.* {{Tsundere}}: Wilma is a Type B, a sweet and adorable housewife who only explodes when Fred goes {{Jerkass}}.* [[TurnOutLikeHisFather Turn Out Like Their Fathers]]: As teenagers, Pebbles is often a schemer that gets in way over her head and Bam-Bam is a loyal accomplice prone to urging caution. Fortunately, Pebbles physically took after her mother.* UglyGuyHotWife: Both couples.** Except in the 1994 LiveActionAdaptation where Betty was played by Rosie O'Donnell.[[note]] And only because she was able to do Betty's trademark laugh, which is admittedly a difficult vocal tic to pull off.[[/note]]** Every couple to appear on the show, really, with the exception of the second generation of the leads.* UntoUsASonAndDaughterAreBorn: Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm eventually got married and had fraternal twins... much to the surprise of Fred and Barney who were expecting them to have only one child (Fred wanted a boy, Barney a girl).* UptownGirl: When Fred and Barney first met Wilma and Betty, the four of them were holding summer jobs at a hotel but a series of misunderstandings caused Fred and Barney to think the girls were wealthy guests and the girls to think the boys were wealthy guests.* {{Ventriloquism}}: "Ventriloquist Barney"* VocalEvolution: Barney has a high nasally voice in the earliest episodes. This is because Mel Blanc had initially refused to imitate the voice of Norton from ''Series/TheHoneymooners'', the character on whom Barney was based, and so devised the nasal voice instead. However, after nearly being killed in a car crash, he came back to work with an entirely different voice for Barney (incidentally, one much closer to that of Norton), and it stuck. In addition, Daws Butler filled in for Blanc for several episodes while he was recovering from the crash, and thus Barney also sounds different.* WatchWhereYoureGoing: Happens a few times in the series. One person is running, and literally runs into someone else because neither were paying attention.* WeirdnessCensor: The human characters rarely acknowledge that the animal appliances talk, though this may simply be that they're so used to it that they barely notice. There are a couple of rare occasions where Fred, Wilma or one of the regulars actually do talk back to the animals.* WhatTheHellHero: When Fred loses his patience with Betty and Barney coming around every night since Pebbles came and yells at them, Wilma angrily chews him out for being possessive of Pebbles and points out that the Rubbles have not been blessed with a child, prompting him to go and apologize.* WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs: Barney. By the time of some of the later episodes, Barney is shown to be working alongside Fred for Mr. Slate's quarry.* WildChild: Bamm-Bamm, in the live action film, was found with wild mastadons.* WraparoundBackground: One of the most famous examples, and is cited whenever the technique is lampshaded.* ZanyScheme: Fred attempts this on almost a OnceAnEpisode level.[[/folder]]